


Imagine a Future And Be In It

by wyvern



Series: Pornalot 2018 [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Space, Dirty Talk, Dom/sub Undertones, M/M, Magic, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 13:04:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16429916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyvern/pseuds/wyvern
Summary: Suddenly, Merlin isn't picking mushrooms anymore — he's somewhere else entirely.





	1. Longer version

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Pornalot 2018's Challenge 2: Fantasy.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370957/chapters/38312819) Go and read all the other amazing entries and show them some love!
> 
> "Merlin" and its characters belong to BBC, Shine, history and whatever else. It's not me, I'm just playing with them.
> 
> Title from Björk's song 'Future Forever'.

***

“You a stowaway?”

Merlin looks around the strange room and has no idea how he got there.

“I—” he starts.

The man shoots him another quick glance over his shoulder as he’s manning the helm. Merlin slowly realises something must have gone horribly wrong with his magic, because this is definitely not the forest outside Ealdor where he was a moment ago. He can't help wondering what has happened to his mother.

“Either way, hold on. I’ll deal with you later.”

“W-what?”

“Hold on!”

Merlin almost falls over when the floor seemingly makes a sharp left turn and then immediately goes into a drop. His magic saves him from crashing headfirst into a wall and he feels immensely grateful it still works, regardless of _where_ he is now. As he gets back up on his feet, he glances beyond the man at the helm for the first time and sees what looks like a massive black void. There are small lights scattered across it and it takes Merlin a couple of moments to realise they're stars. That's the sky he's studied during those late night when he couldn't sleep. There's something strange about it, though, but Merlin can't quite figure it out.

“Gwen!” shouts the man, and Merlin looks around expecting to see a third person somewhere. There’s no one.

 _“Yep?”_

A disembodied voice seems to come from everywhere around them and it makes Merlin’s skin crawl. Are these people also magic?

“Push the engine as far as you can without breaking it. We’ve run into a few dragons and I can’t shake them. We’ll need to jump.”

There’s a sudden intake of breath. _“But the engine’s already—”_

“I know, but do your best. Everyone, hold on!”

Merlin quickly grabs hold of the closest railing. “Wait—”

The ship tilts and drops only to shoot up again straight away, leaving Merlin’s stomach behind for a couple of seconds. He holds his breath and shuts his eyes. This just can’t be real.

***

“What do you mean, you don’t know about the dragons?” The man’s standing with his hands on his hips and is staring at him with sharp, blue eyes. Merlin feels like he’s being measured and found wanting. “Did you sneak onboard on a dare? To get free passage somewhere? Have you ever even been on a spaceship before?”

“I—”

Clearly dissatisfied with Merlin's stuttering, the man interrupts him.

“Who _are_ you? How can you not know about the dragons? They're everywhere, they’re—”

At that moment, a petite woman with dark, curly hair bursts into the room.

“Arthur, I need your help.”

***

It takes the man and woman several hours of work to realise the drive force, the engine, is irreparably fried. Merlin doesn't understand this kind of magic, but patiently watches them work for about an hour before he gets tired and tries to leave the room. The man, Arthur, immediately stops working and orders him to stay put with a voice that brooks no argument. And for some unfathomable reason, Merlin obeys.

Later, the woman angrily wipes away a tear and pushes Arthur’s hand away when he reaches out for her.

“What are we supposed to do now, eh?”

“Gwen…”

“They’re waiting for us to rescue them! We need to get them out!”

Clearly frustrated, Arthur drags his fingers through his blonde hair.

“I know, we’ll find—”

“We don’t have any power, drifting aimlessly! We can’t even get ourselves into a harbour to try and fix the ship.”

Arthur looks pained, but doesn’t answer.

“I need them back, Arthur. I can’t live without—”

And then she chokes down a sob and rushes off. Arthur immediately follows. Suddenly, Merlin is all alone. The room is big enough to house the enormous engine, but there isn’t much more in it. The air is hot. Sweat is trickling down Merlin's neck and the collar of his shirt is damp. Just wanting to rest and not thinking about anything in particular, he puts his right hand right on top of where Arthur was working a minute ago, closes his eyes and exhales slowly.

His fingers prickle with magic, and suddenly, the big machine makes a loud, clanking noise and then slowly starts back up.

“Shit.” Merlin removes his hand but can feel his magic pulse with satisfaction of a work well done. _“Shit.”_

***

“So… Merlin?”

Arthur’s standing in the doorway to Merlin’s bunk. A week has gone by, and Merlin still isn’t sure what happened to make him end up here. Sometimes he thinks of his mother. He hopes she won’t be too distressed at his inexplicable disappearance but knows she’ll probably turn the world upside down to try and find him.

It’s strange to think it won’t help since he's not on Earth, nor on any other planet.

“Yeah?” 

He doesn’t look up from the book Gwen has let him borrow. It's become obvious that Arthur is a bit of a prat who expects people to do whatever he says all the time, so Merlin — obviously — does the exact opposite as often as he can. This week, it seems Merlin hasn't been able do anything right — except getting the engine running again, which neither Arthur nor Gwen have managed to explain. Most of what Arthur says to him is insults anyway. _Merlin, don't press that, you'll make the food inedible! Merlin, you clumsy oaf, stop touching the consoles. Why in all of the heavens don't you understand even the simplest things when I try to explain, Merlin?_ The answer to that last one was that Merlin had been watching Arthur's lips too closely and completely lost track of whatever he was saying, but he couldn't tell him that now, could he?

It's unclear what Arthur has come to complain about this time, and, frankly, Merlin isn't in much a mood to hear it.

“Are you listening? We want you to stay.”

That _does_ make Merlin look up but he's unsure how to react. Arthur is watching him with those annoyingly blue eyes of his.

“A couple of days ago you said you’ll throw me off at the first planet we reached and that you hoped it would be a garbage plant planet.”

Arthur rolls his eyes, but Merlin can see his ears turning red.

“You had just called me a ‘blithering imbecile’, Merlin.”

“I still stand by that.”

Arthur crosses his arms over his chest, but there’s a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. That small smile makes Merlin's insides go all warm, and he closes the book and straightens up a bit.

“You’re not the smartest spoon in the cutlery drawer either, Merlin.”

“No, that’s definitely Gwen.”

“I’m the captain!”

Shrugging, Merlin looks back down on the book and runs his hand carefully over the cover. “That doesn’t take much brains, clearly.”

Arthur turns his head away, but Merlin can tell he’s actually smiling. The silence is comfortable but lasts a bit too long. 

When he speaks again, Arthur’s voice is quiet.

“Will you, though? Stay?”

Merlin looks up and meets Arthur’s gaze. He desperately wants to say yes, but what if his magic suddenly decides to return him home? 

But he can’t — doesn’t really want to — say no to Arthur. 

“For as long as I can.” 

Arthur just shoots him a quick smile before turning away and disappearing out of sight, leaving Merlin alone with his his confused thoughts.

***

The wall’s cold against his cheek, and Merlin desperately wants to reach back but manages to keep his hands against the wall like he’s been ordered to. There’s a small shiver running down his spine, but it’s not because of the coolness of the metal. Arthur’s breaths are harsh in his ear and his body is covering Merlin’s from behind.

“You…” Arthur breathes.

“Mm?”

“You make me want things I haven’t wanted in such a long time.”

A small groan slips past Merlin’s lips and he closes his eyes. Arthur’s hands are slowly running their way down Merlin’s arms, over his exposed ribs and up his naked chest. Then he stops and presses a kiss to the small patch of skin behind Merlin’s ear.

“I should make you regret your everlasting snark, you know.”

Merlin opens his eyes again and sees the outline of Arthur’s face in the corner of his eye. He's the most beautiful man Merlin's ever seen, even from that angle.

“I should tease you until you beg for me to fuck you, Merlin.”

The words are hard, but the small kiss on Merlin’s neck isn’t.

“I’ll open you up slowly. Take my time. Let you feel every time my fingers enter you, but I won't give you what you want until you've done what I tell you.”

Merlin presses his bottom back towards him, but Arthur only leans in more and Merlin revels in the comforting weight of him against his back. For the first time in forever, he feels like he’s in the right place with the right person.

“I would beg you, Arthur,” Merlin says, voice dark with arousal, “I'll beg until I lose my voice.”

Arthur lets out a small chuckle of surprise. The exhale tickles Merlin’s ear and he tilts his head slightly to avoid it, but Arthur doesn't take notice.

“Oh, I know. You would let me do whatever I wanted, because you can’t say no to me. You can’t say no to me, Merlin.”

His hand sneaks its way under the waistband of Merlin’s trousers, slowly caressing the lower part of his belly. The touch makes Merlin hard.

“I’ll kiss every bit of your skin... I’ll kiss you so deeply you don't know where you are.”

“Yes...”

Merlin can feel Arthur’s hard cock against his arse. Arthur’s breaths in his ear are heavier than before and Merlin wants nothing else than force more sweet noises out of that dirty mouth.

“Please, Arthur, let me suck you off. Arthur…”

Another small groan. Another sweet kiss, but Arthur are still not allowing Merlin to move.

“No,” he says, “No, I want to take it slow. I want to—”

***

Merlin’s back in the forest. He’s half-naked, sporting a very inconvenient boner, and his trousers are somehow unbuttoned. Next to him, there’s the wicker basket he must’ve dropped before he… 

Arthur, oh Gods.

There’s a small sound of a twig being tread on. Someone's coming. Luckily, Merlin has just enough time to button his trousers before Hunith steps into the clearing carrying a basket of her own.

“There you are, love. Did you find any mushrooms? But…” She takes in his dishevelled appearence. “What happened to your shirt?”

***  
THE END  
***


	2. Original version

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shorter version of Chapter 1.

***

“You a stowaway?”

Merlin looks around the strange room and honestly doesn’t know how he got there.

“I—” he starts.

The man shoots a quick glance over his shoulder as he’s manning the helm. Merlin knows something had gone horribly wrong with his magic, because this is not the forest where he’d been a couple of minutes ago. He wonders what happened to his mother.

“Either way, hold on. We’ll deal with you later.”

“W-what?”

“Hold on!”

Merlin almost falls over when the ship makes a sharp left turn and then immediately goes into a drop. His magic saves him from crashing headfirst into a wall and he feels immensely grateful he’s still got that, regardless of where he is.

“Gwen!” shouts the man, and Merlin looks around expecting to see a third person somewhere. There’s no one.

 _“Sir?”_

A disembodied voice seems to come from everywhere and it makes Merlin’s skin crawl. Are these people also magic?

“Push the engine as far as you can without breaking it. We’ve run into a few dragons and I can’t shake them. We’ll need to jump.”

There’s a short intake of breath. _“But the engine’s—”_

“I know, but do your best. Everyone hold on!”

The ship tilts again, leaving Merlin’s stomach behind for a moment. He shuts his eyes. This just can’t be real.

***

It takes the man and the woman several hours to realise the engine is irreparably fried. When Merlin tries to leave the engine room, the man, Arthur, orders him to stay put. For some unfathomable reason, Merlin does.

Later, Gwen angrily wipes away a tear and pushes Arthur’s hand away when he reaches out for her.

“What are we supposed to do now, eh?”

“Gwen…”

“They’re waiting for us to rescue them!”

Clearly frustrated, Arthur drags his fingers through his blonde hair.

“I know, we’ll find—”

“We don’t have any power, we’re drifting aimlessly.”

Arthur looks pained, but doesn’t answer.

“I need them back, Arthur. I can’t live without—”

And then she chokes down a sob and rushes off. Arthur follows. Suddenly, Merlin is all alone. The room’s big enough to house the ship’s massive engine, but there isn’t much more in it. Not thinking about anything in particular, he puts his right hand on the broken engine, closes his eyes and exhales slowly.

His fingers prickle with magic, and suddenly, the big machine makes a loud, clanking noise and then slowly starts back up.

“Shit,” Merlin whispers. “Shit.”

***

“So… Merlin?”

Arthur’s standing in the doorway to Merlin’s bunk. A week has gone by, and Merlin still isn’t sure what happened to make him end up here. Sometimes he thinks of his mother. He wishes she won’t be too distressed at his disappearance, but he realises she’ll probably turn the world upside down to try and find him.

It’s strange to think it won’t help since they’re not on Earth, nor on any other planet.

“Yeah?” 

He doesn’t look up from the book Gwen’s let him borrow. Arthur’s a bit of a prat who expects people to do whatever he says all the time, so Merlin obviously does the exact opposite as often as he’s able.

“We want you to stay.”

“Last week you told me you’ll throw me off at the first possible planet and that it’d hopefully be a garbage plant planet.”

“You called me a ‘blithering imbecile’, Merlin.”

“I still stand by that.”

Arthur turns his head away, but Merlin can tell he’s smiling. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet.

“Will you, though? Stay?”

Merlin looks up and meets Arthur’s gaze. He can’t, doesn’t really want to, say no to Arthur. 

“Yeah, for as long as I can.” 

***

The wall’s cold against his cheek, and Merlin desperately wants to reach back but manages to keep his hands against the wall like he’s been ordered to. A small shiver is running down his spine, but it’s not because of the coolness of the metal. Arthur’s breaths are harsh in his ear and his body is covering Merlin’s.

“You…” Arthur breathes. “You make me want things.”

A small groan slips past Merlin’s lips and he closes his eyes. Arthur’s hands are slowly running their way down Merlin’s arms, over his exposed ribs and up his naked back again. Then Arthur presses a kiss to the small patch of skin behind Merlin’s ear.

“I should make you regret your snark.”

Merlin opens his eyes again and can see the outline of Arthur’s face in the corner of his eye.

“I should tease you until you beg for me to fuck you, Merlin.”

The words are hard, but the small kiss on Merlin’s neck isn’t.

“I’ll open you up slowly… Let you feel every time my fingers enter you, but never give you what you want.”

Merlin revels in the weight of him against his back. For the first time in a long time, Merlin feels like he’s in the right place with the right person.

“I would beg you, Arthur,” Merlin says, voice dark, and Arthur lets out a small, startled exhale that tickles Merlin’s ear.

It doesn’t take long for him to recover, though.

“Oh, I know. You would let me do whatever I wanted.”

His hand sneaks its way under the waistband of Merlin’s trousers, slowly rubbing the skin of his hip.

“I’ll kiss every bit of your skin… Until you don’t know where you are.”

Merlin can feel Arthur’s hardening cock through the clothes. His breaths in his ear are even harsher than before and Merlin wants nothing else than force more sweet noises out of that dirty mouth.

“Please, let me suck you off. Arthur…”

Another small groan, another kiss, but Arthur still doesn’t allow Merlin to move.

“No,” he says, “I want to—”

***

Merlin’s back in the forest. He’s half-naked, sporting an inconvenient boner, and his trousers are unbuttoned. Next to him, there’s the wicker basket he must’ve dropped before… 

Arthur, oh Gods.

There’s a small crack of someone nearing, and Merlin has just enough time before Hunith steps into the clearing.

“There you are, love. Did you find any mushrooms? But… What happened to your shirt?”

***


End file.
